Echinacea plant named &#39;sunny292&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant named ‘Sunny292 ’, characterized by its broadly upright plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; strong flowering stems; numerous large single-type inflorescences with yellow orange-colored ray florets and dark yellow-colored receptacle spines; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Echinacea hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNNY292’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant, botanically known as Echinacea hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunny292’.

The new Echinacea plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new freely branching and relatively compact Echinacea plants with unique and attractive ray floret coloration.

The new Echinacea plant originated from an open-pollination in July, 2014 in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands of Echinacea hybrida ‘Julia’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,629, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Echinacea hybrida as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Echinacea plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouse environment in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands in July, 2015.

Asexual reproduction of the new Echinacea plant by in vitro meristem culture in a controlled environment in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands since June, 2016 has shown that the unique features of this new Echinacea plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Echinacea have been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunny292’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunny292’ as a new and distinct Echinacea plant:

-   -   1. Broadly upright plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Strong flowering stems.     -   5. Numerous large single-type inflorescences with yellow         orange-colored ray florets and dark yellow-colored receptacle         spines.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of the female parent, ‘Julia’. Plants of the new Echinacea differ primarily from plants of ‘Julia’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Echinacea are taller than plants of         ‘Julia’.     -   2. Plants of the new Echinacea are not as freely branching as         plants of ‘Julia’.     -   3 Plants of the new Echinacea flower later than plants of         ‘Julia’.

Plants of the new Echinacea can be compared to plants of Echinacea hybrida ‘Cleopatra’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,631. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Echinacea differ primarily from plants of ‘Cleopatra’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Flowering stems of plants of the new Echinacea are stronger         than flowering stems of plants of ‘Cleopatra’.     -   2. Plants of the new Echinacea are not as freely branching as         plants of ‘Cleopatra’.     -   3. Leaves of plants of the new Echinacea are darker in color         than leaves of plants of ‘Cleopatra’.     -   4. Ray florets of plants of the new Echinacea are darker in         color than ray florets of plants of ‘Cleopatra’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Echinacea plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Echinacea plant. The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunny292 ’ grown in a ground bed in an outdoor nursery and placed in a container for the photograph. The photographs on the second sheet are close-up views of a typical inflorescence (upper photograph) and the upper surface of a typical leaf (lower photograph) of ‘Sunny292’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the summer in ground beds in an outdoor nursery in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typically used in commercial Echinacea production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 6° C. to 18° C. Plants were six months old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Echinacea hybrida ‘Sunny292’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Echinacea hybrida ‘Julia’, disclosed in U.S.             Plant Pat. No. 24,629.         -   Male parent.—Unknown selection of Echinacea hybrida, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By in vitro meristem culture.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About one week at             temperatures about 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About five             weeks at temperatures about 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically pale cream in             color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,             substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; broadly             upright plant habit, narrow inverted triangle; freely             branching habit with about seven lateral branches developing             per primary branch; moderately vigorous growth habit;             moderate growth rate.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 52             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of floral plane.—About 63.2             cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 51.9 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 22.9 cm. Diameter: About             4 mm. Internode length: About 4.9 cm. Aspect: About 20° from             vertical. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture and luster:             Sparsely pubescent; moderately glossy. Color: Close to 144B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Basal leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About             18 cm. Width: About 6 cm. Shape: Narrowly ovate. Apex:             Narrowly acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire,             occasionally shallowly dentate. Texture and luster, upper             and lower surfaces: Moderately pubescent, strigose, rough,             slightly rugose; slightly glossy. Venation pattern: Pinnate.             Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 144A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Darker than between NN137A             and 147A; venation, close to 144B. Fully expanded leaves,             lower surface: Close to 137B; venation, close to 144B.             Petioles, basal leaves: Length: About 10.4 cm. Width: About             3 mm. Height: About 3 mm. Strength: Strong, flexible.             Texture and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely             pubescent; glossy. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             144B.         -   Cauline leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 13.1 cm. Width: About 4 cm. Shape: Narrowly ovate.             Apex: Narrowly acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire,             occasionally shallowly dentate. Texture and luster, upper             and lower surfaces: Moderately pubescent, strigose; slightly             glossy. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing leaves,             upper surface: Close to 144A. Developing leaves, lower             surface: Close to 146B. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Darker than between NN137A and 147A; venation,             close to 144B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 137B; venation, close to 144B. Petioles, cauline leaves:             Length: About 1.3 cm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Height: About             1.5 mm. Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture and luster,             upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent; glossy. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Large single-type inflorescences with ray and             disc florets arranged on a capitulum; inflorescences             positioned upright above the foliar plane on strong             peduncles.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit with about 21             inflorescences developing per plant during the flowering             season.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Time to flower.—Plants begin flowering about 100 days after             planting; in the garden, plants flower continuously during             the summer in The Netherlands.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about two weeks on the plant; inflorescences             not persistent.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 2.8 cm. Diameter: About             4.6 cm. Shape: Flattened globular. Texture and luster:             Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color: Involucral bracts, close to             144A; developing ray florets, close to 151C.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 8.1 cm. Depth (height):             About 4.9 cm. Disc diameter: About 3.5 cm.         -   Receptacles.—Height: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 1.1 cm.             Color: Close to NN155B.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 18 arranged in             a single whorl. Length: About 4.8 cm. Width: About 1.1 cm.             Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Cuneate.             Margin: Entire. Texture and luster, upper surface: Smooth,             glabrous, moderately velvety; matte. Texture and luster,             lower surface: Smooth, glabrous, slightly velvety; slightly             glossy. Aspect: Moderately drooping, about 40° below             horizontal. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to             23A. When opening, lower surface: Close to 11B; towards the             margins, close to 13B. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to             14A to 14B; venation, close to 14A to 14B; color does not             fade with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to             154B to 154C; venation, close to 154B to 154C; color does             not fade with development.         -   Disc florets.—Quantity and arrangement: About 300 per             inflorescence, arranged spirally at the center of the             receptacle. Length: About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm.             Shape: Tubular; proximally, 17.5% free, not fused. Apex:             Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Aspect: Mostly upright.             Texture and luster, inner and outer surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; glossy. Color, when opening, inner and outer             surfaces: Apex: Close to 151C. Mid-section and base: Close             to 143C. Color, fully opened, inner and outer surfaces:             Apex: Close to 151C. Mid-section and base: Close to 143C.         -   Receptacle spines.—Quantity: One per disc floret. Length:             About 1.1 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Acicular. Apex:             Narrowly acute. Base: Cuneate. Texture and luster: Smooth,             glabrous; glossy. Color: Apex: Close to 13A. Mid-section:             Close to 143C. Base: Close to 145D.         -   Involucral bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 60             arranged in about three whorls. Length: About 9 mm. Width:             About 3.5 mm. Shape: Narrowly ovate. Apex: Acute. Base:             Cuneate. Margin: Entire; moderately pubescent. Texture and             luster, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; slightly             glossy. Color, upper surface: Close to 137B. Color, lower             surface: Close to 143A.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 16.6 cm.             Diameter, terminal peduncle: About 5 mm. Strength: Strong.             Aspect, terminal peduncle: Upright. Texture and luster:             Moderately pubescent; moderately glossy. Color: Close to             146B with random spots, close to 144C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium (present only on disc             florets): Quantity per floret: Five. Filament length: About             3 mm. Filament color: Close to 154C. Anther length: About             3 mm. Anther width: About 0.5 mm. Anther shape: Narrowly             oblong. Anther color: Close to 203C. Pollen amount:             Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 15A. Gynoecium (present             only on disc florets): Quantity per floret: One. Pistil             length: About 7 mm. Style length: About 5.5 mm. Style color:             Close to 151B. Stigma diameter: About 3.5 mm. Stigma shape:             Decurrent, cleft. Stigma color: Close to 151B. Ovary color:             Close to 145D. Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit development             have not been observed on plants of the new Echinacea to             date. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Echinacea have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Echinacea     plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Echinacea have exhibited good     garden performance and to tolerate rain and wind. Plants of the new     Echinacea have been observed to tolerate high temperatures of about     35° C. and to be suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 10. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Echinacea plant named ‘Sunny292’ as illustrated and described. 